Dear Learners,

There’s an old saying attributed to Oliver Cromwell, an English military leader, in which he told his men to “Trust in God and keep your powder dry.” Powder, of course, is gun powder, and Cromwell was urging his men to be prepared to spring into action at any moment.

We don’t have powder in school, but we do have pencils. And I think “Keep your pencils sharp” is a perfect slogan for us. This means more than merely keeping your graphite to a tip. It means always being prepared to learn new things; it means trusting in yourself that you’re smart enough to learn these things; and it means always being willing to put in the effort that it takes to learn these new things.

Most of all, it’s believing that learning about the world is humanity’s greatest achievement. When you take part in it, you’re taking part in something great.

Sincerely,

Mr. Heimbuck